Process of carbonating liquids.



J. BIEN Z. PROCESS or GAHBONATING LIQUIDs APPLOATION FILED NOV.7,1904.

Patend Deo. 14. 1909,

J. BIBNZ. PROCESS 0F CARBGNATING LIQUIDE, APPLIUATION rILEn uw. 11, 1904.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[Ni/EN 70A Alim/nays JEAN BIENZ, 0F LANGENTHAL, SWITZERLAND.

PROCESS 0F CARBONATING LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

Application filed November 17, 1904. Serial No. 233,145.

To all whom it may concern.:

lic it hnown that l, JEAN liinNz, a citixen ol Switzerland, residing at Langenthal, in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, have in vented certain new and useful improvements in lrocesscs of (oarbonating Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a process of carbonating liquids.

According to the present invention the liquid to be carbonizcd is forced in finely divided condition through a mixing chamber containing carbonic aeid free of atmos4 pheric air, and the liquid having been highly saturated in the mixing chamber, is conducted directly to a bottle or other storing vessel, which has been previously entirely tillcd with carbonic acid at the same pressure as that of the carbonio acid in the mix ing chamber. The air which was in the storing vessel prior to the introduction of the carbonio acid is forced out by the carbonio acid, and the carbonio acid, which is i'orced (iit from the storing vessel when the carbonated liquid enters the said vessel, is conducted back to the mixing chamber.

In the accompanying drawing, in which I have shown an apparatus for carrying out my improved carbonating process, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus in vertical section, the three plug valves being closed and parts of the apparatus being broken away. The receptacles 16 and 18 are shown on a. reduced scale. Fig. 2 is a side View, partly in section on a reduced scale of the lower part of the apparatus showing the means for pressing a bottle against the apparatus. Figs. 3, L1, 5, G, 7, and 8 are sections'through the three plug valves showing the positions which the plug valves occupy when they are turned through angles of 450, C, 1350, i800, 225C, and 270, respectively, from the position shown in Fig. 1.

l is a mixing chamber and 2 is a pressure chamber surmounting the mixing chamber and communicating therewith by means of a channel. Acheck-valve 4 in the channel 3 prevents the passage of liquid or gas from the mixing chamber 1 to the pressure chamber 3 and at the lower terminus of the channel 3 is located a sieve 5.

Below the mixing chamber 1 are arranged three multiple-way plug valves 6, 6b and 6 adapted to be turned in unison. The plug valve 6 has one passage-way 12, the lug valve 6b has two passage ways 10 an 11 and thc plug-valve (3 has two passage-ways tj and t). 'lhe mixing chamber l is provided with an outlet 7 adapted to register with the passageway 10. ln the housing ot' the plug-valve t5 are inserted thrcc pipes ttl, 14 and 15 adapted to register with the passage way 12. 'the pipe 1.25 opens into the upper part of the pressure chamber 2, while the pipe 15 projects into a reservoir contain ing compressed carbonio acid.

'1`o the main-housing 1t) is rigidly secured a fillinglr cup 20. A supporting trame 22 is secured to the shaft 25 carrying a cani disk 23 and a handle 24, the cani-disk 23 will cause the shaft` 25 and the supporting frame 22 to be reciprocatcd anda bottle 21 placed on the supporting frame may bc pressed into the tilling cup 20. The bottoni of the supporting frame is made adjustable so as to make it possible to employ bottles oi diil'crent sizes.

2T a pipe leading from the cup 20 to the plug-valve (3" and provided with an enlargement 28 into which opens a pipe 2f) leading to the plug valve l Below the enlargement. 28, the cup Q0 is provided with a chamber surrounding the pipe 2T and conimunicating with the interior of the bottle when the bottle is placed on the cup. A pipe 31 leads from the chamber 30 to the plug-valve Gb and a pipe 33 leads from the chamber 50 to the interior of the mixing chamber 1. A check-valve 34 on pipe 33 prevents liquid or gas from passing from chamber l to chamber 30. Pipes 35 and 3G extend from the plug-valves til and 6c and terminate in perforated hollow balls in the interior of which are placed Sponges :for mutlling the sound of the exhaust of compressed aid or carbonio acid when taking place through the pipes 35 and 3G. A pipe 37 leads from the plug-valve GC to the reservoir 16 and a pipe 38 leads from the plugvalve 6 to the pipe 13.

I will now describe my process as carried out by the apparatus above-described.

Let it be assumed that the parts occupy the positions shown in Fig. l, that is to say, all three plug-valves are closed. Let it further be assumed that the pressure chamber 2 contains liquid to be carbonated and the mixing chamber contains compressed carbonic acid, the pressure of which is determined by adjustment of the reduction valve 17, while a bottlevQl to be filled, is pressed against the charging head. When the plugvalves are turned 450, the plugs will occupy the positions shown in Fig. 3 and a pressure equalization will take place between the mixing chamber l and the interior of the bottle 21, so that carbonio acid passes into the bottle 21 from the mixing chamber 2. This reduces the pressure in the mixing chamber 1, and the contents of chamber 2, which is brought into communication with the gas container 18, by the position of the valve shown in Fig. 3, is forced out of chamber 2 by pressure from the container 18, and into the mixing chamber 1, that is already filled with carbonio acid. 'hen the liquid enters the mixture chamber 1, it will be finely divided by the sieve 5 and while the liquid passes through the mixing chamber, it will e highly saturated with carbonio acid. The liquid leaves the mixing chamber through the outlet 7, and fiows through passage-way l0 and pipe 27 to the bottle 21, forcing the carbonic acid, which is in the bottle, out through the pipe 33, into the mixing chamber 1.

When the bottle has been filled with the saturated liquid, the plug-valves are turned 450 so as to occupy the positions shown in Fig. 4, in which the interior of the bottle communicates with the` atmosphere through the chamber 30, the pipe 31, the passage- Way 11 and the pipe 3G, While the reservoir 16 communicates with the atmosphere through the pipe 3i", the passage-way 8 and the pipe 35, and the pressure in the bottle and in the reservoir 1G is consequently reduced to atmospheric pressure. rl`he filled bottle may then be detached from the filling cup and closed and another empty bottle may be attached. Upon further turning the plugvalves 450 to the position shown in Fig. 5, carbonio acid will pass from the pressure chamber 2 through the pipes 13 and 38, the passage-way 8 and the pipes 29 and 27 into the bottle until pressure equalization has taken place. AS the carbonio acid is of greater specific gravity than the atmospheric air, it will occupy the lower part of the bottle and force the atmospheric air to the upper part of the bottle.

VWhen the plug-valves are turned 45 to the positions shown in Fig. 6, communication is established between the pressurechamber 2 and the liquid reservoir 1G and as carbonic acid flows from the pressurechamber into the liquid reservoir, the pressure in the pressure-chamber will be further reduced. The plug-valves are thereupon turned 45 to the positions shown in Fig. 7, the pressure-chamber 2 Will communicate with the atmosphere through the pipes 13 and 38, the passageway 9 and the pipe 35 and the pressure in the chamber 2 will consequently be reduced to atmospheric pressure. When the plug-valves are turned further 45" to the positions shown in Fig. 8,

communication will be established between the interior of the bottle and the atmosphere through the passageway 9, and the compressed carbonio acid in the bottle will expand and force out of the bottle the atmospheric air that might remain in the upper part thereof. lhc turning of the plugvalves to the positions .shown in Fig. 8, has, ho\\'e\'er, eti'ected communication of the liquid reservoir lt with the pressure chamber 2 through the passage-way 12, and the carbonio acid, which has passed into the reservoir lt, when the valves were in the positionsI shown in Fig. t3, now expands and causes the liquid to flow from the reservoir 1G to the chamber 2, while the carbonio acid contained in the chamber 2, will escape through the pipe '1() and the relief-valve 41, the valve bcingr constructed in such u manner that it opens at a slight pressure while it automatically closes when the pressure` is greater. The vulve will therefore be closed when the carbonic acid, which has great pressure, flows from the container 1G to the pressure chamber 2 when the valves are in the positions shown in Fig. 3. The flow of liquid into the chamber 2 continues until the liquid is on level with the lower opening of the tube 40. B v suitable adjustment of the pipe 40 and its bottom opening. the amount of liquid which the chamber 2 contains after each tilling, is regulated so as to correspond to the Volume ofthe bottle to be filled, and the mixing chamber 1,` therefore, does not contain any liquid when the plug-valves pass from the positions shown in Fig. 1 to those shown in Fig. 3. Vt'hcn the pressure-chamber 2 has been filled and the plug valves are turned to the closed position shown in Fig. 1, the pressure chamber 2 contains liquid to be saturated, the mixture chamber 1 contains compressed carbonio acid and the bottle 21 contains carbonio acid at atmospheric pressure or in other words the conditions are similar to those at the start of the operations.

From what has been said in the foregoing remarks, it will be understood, that the saturation of the liquid with carbonio acid takes place in the absence of atmospheric air. Furthermore, the filling of the liquid into the bottle takes place with exclusion of the atmos )heric air, as the counterpressure in the bottle to be filled is formed by carbonio acid, and the result thereof is, that when the bottle has been filled and the pressure is relieved (Fig. 4), only a slight amount of carbonio acid will escape from the contents of the bottle, and the removal and closing of the bottle may therefore be effected easily and without any special manipulations.

In the instance Where the liquid reservoir is located at a high elevation or where the liquid to be filled into the pressure-chamber is taken from a pressure-pipe (for instance,

from a town-aqucduct), the plug-valves may be turned directly from the positions shown in Fig. (3 to those shown in Fig. 8, and in such case carbonio acid passes from the pressure-chamber and outy into the atmosphere, when the plug-valves are in the positions shown in Fig. tu.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The herein-described process of carbonating and bottling liquids` which consists in fillingl a pressure chamber with liquid from a storage tank and filling a mixing chamber with earbonic acid under pressure, filling a storing Vessel. with carbonio acid from the mixing chamber whereby the pressure in the mixing chamber becomes reduced and introducing carbonio acid under pressure into the pressure chamber whereby the pressui'e of the carbonic acid in the pressure chamber causes the liquid to enter the mixing chamber to be saturated with the carbonio acid therein and pass from the mixing chamber into the storing vessel to displace the carbonic acid from the storing vessel into the mixing chamber, then conducting part of the carbonic acid in the pressure chamber to the storage tank to place the liquid therein under pressure, and finally reducing the pressure in the pressure chamber to atmospheric pressure.

2. The herein-described process of carbonating and bottling liqi'iids,u'liich consists in filling a pressure chamber with liquid from a storage tank and filling a mixing chamber with carbonic-acid under pressure, conducting part of the compressed carbonio acid from the mixing chamber into a storing vessel whereby the pressure in the mixing chamber becomes reduced and introducing carbonic acid under pressure into the pressure chamber whereby the pressure of the carbonio acid in the pressure chamber causes the liquid to enter the mixing chamber to be saturated with the carbonic acid therein and pass from the mixing chamber into the StorA ing vessel to displace the carbonio acid from the storing vessel into the mixing chamber, then reducing the pressure in the storage tank and in the storing vessel to atmospheric pressure, then conducting part of the-carbonic acid in the pressure chamber into another storing Vessel to fill said vessel with carbonio acid, thenconducting party of the carbonio acid in the pressure chamber to the storage tank to place the liquid therein under pressure, and finally reducing the prcssure in the pressure chamber and in the storing vessel to atmospheric pressure. l

The foregoing specification signed at Berne, this fifth day of November, 1904.

JEAN BlENZ.

In presence of- Fnrnnnron NAEGELI, NATHANAL LEUBA. 

